


It Takes Two Hearts to Share

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 11:17:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2426765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“This is a blessing in disguise.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Takes Two Hearts to Share

**Author's Note:**

> written for the prompt **decisions**. Just another take on how they may have come together. The title comes from the Bad English song, _Price of_ _Love_.

“I'm going to stop doing this; I really am.”

 

“Don’t be silly.”

 

“No, I just…I can't keep showing up here in the middle of the night.”

 

“Its 8:30.” Hotch poked his head out of the kitchen.

 

“Still, you have a life, and I…”

 

“I really don’t.”

 

“That’s no excuse.” Emily’s tone was exasperated.“I’m trying to apologize.”

 

“You have nothing to apologize for.You are better than Jason was; he used to show up unannounced and want to play chess.I have to tell you that never made Haley happy.” He came out of the kitchen, joining her on the couch.“Have you eaten yet?I was thinking pizza; what do you think?”

 

“And I'm not bothering you?” she asked.

 

She wore the most adorable pout and Hotch wanted to tell her so but her personality could be schizophrenic these days.Something that was a compliment on Wednesday would have her angry on Friday.He just smiled, handed her the glass of iced tea, and leaned back.

 

“You are not bothering me.An evening with a friend is better than one alone any day.Get comfortable Em, you can take off your shoes.”

 

She slipped out of her sneakers, pulling her feet under her on the couch.When she sat that way, it was easy for him to see what she was still trying to hide.In another month, it would be impossible.Probably less than that since they worked with profilers.

 

“So, pizza and…”

 

“Is Jack asleep?” Emily asked.

 

“He’s not here tonight.”

 

“I thought you always got him on Fridays.”

 

“Haley wanted to take him somewhere this evening.I'm figuring it’s the formal boyfriend introduction.I'll be picking him up from his grandmother’s tomorrow at eleven and have him until Sunday after dinner.Hey, would you like to hang out with a couple of swinging guys tomorrow?”

 

“No.” she shook her head.

 

“Why?”

 

“I don’t want to interrupt your time.I know it’s limited.”

 

“It'll be fun.We were just going to the park to play football, maybe have lunch at PizzaPalace.Jack likes you a lot.”

 

“Aaron…”

 

“What?Should I say it'll be good practice…will that get you to come?”

 

“Daniel called me earlier.” she said.

 

“What the hell did he want?” Hotch bit back his anger.He had to every time he thought about that bastard.Daniel who did not want kids and had the brazen audacity to ask Emily if she was sure it was his.Daniel who said he did not want battles in child support court so they should set up something through private attorneys.This was of course after the paternity test.A matter of form, he told Emily, as he was a rich man and had his share of daddy scares.

 

What did she even see in scum like him?When Hotch finally got her to open up about it, Emily admitted it had been a brief relationship.It was two people not looking for any attachment, just nice times together.It was fun until Emily missed her period.She barely got the P word from her lips and he was out the door.Hotch never told her that he followed Daniel around for almost a week.He was going to kick his ass and one night he came really close.Daniel wasn’t worth it in the end…Hotch knew he would never do right by Emily.That kind of guy didn’t change.

 

“He wanted to know how I was doing.I told him that we had nothing to say to each other. He said he wanted to sign away paternity if the child was his.”

 

“He is still saying that.” Hotch took a deep breath, reaching for her hand.“I'm sorry.”

 

“I'm sorrier.”

 

“This is a blessing in disguise.”

 

“Yeah?” she smirked.“Enlighten me with your wisdom.”

 

“You want to be a mom; you said so yourself.”

 

“Alone?I never wanted to be alone.Stop!” she exclaimed, startling him.“Pizza sounds good.”

 

“We’re jumping subjects here.’ He told her.

 

“What's on the tube?” Emily picked up the remote, flipping through the five million channels of nothing.

 

Hotch got the message loud and clear.The conversation was over for now.He knew she would come back to it; he had a good read on Emily Prentiss.It was surprising, how close they were now.Hotch actually tried to fight it.He did not let new people in and the way she entered his life was suspicious at best.

 

Something about Emily just called to him.He found himself talking to her one night on the plane ride home from somewhere.She was not receptive initially, giving one word answers and nods of the head.The ride was long and the case tough so sleep never came for the two of them.By the time they landed in DC, he wanted to call her an acquaintance but she proved to be a tougher nut than that.

 

It happened slowly, a conversation here, a drink there (with the group of course).He was a married man, and her boss, so she kept her professional distance and even more for good measure.Hotch could not pinpoint the moment when he knew he felt more for her than friendship.It was before Haley decided to end their marriage but he ignored it; blamed it on the problems with his wife.It was only after she left and Hotch didn’t want to be near anyone that Emily was once again in the forefront of his mind.

 

She ignored all of his growling.She came over and helped him cook, sat through football and reruns of the _Crocodile Hunter_ , played with Jack, called him to make sure he was alright and took his calls when he could not sleep.She told him about Daniel, grudgingly; when he teased that she had a boyfriend.And she cried on his shoulder when the stick turned blue and the winds of her love affair turned as bitter as the Potomac in January.Now they sat on his couch almost three months after those tears and almost two years after that plane ride, calling out for pizza and finally settling on _Disclosure_.

 

“I have such a crush on Donald Sutherland.” Emily said, stretching out her legs into Hotch’s waiting lap.

 

He was dialing the PizzaPalace, where they practically knew him by his voice.He covered his cell phone and asked Emily if she wanted bacon.

 

“Yes please.”

 

“You got it.Oh, and I used to have a thing for Mr. Sutherland myself, you know in the 70s when he was sporting that sexy perm.”

 

“Shut up.” She laughed, hitting him with a pillow.

 

Hotch was just glad to see a smile from her.It was going to get harder before it got easier.He knew that she knew that.

 

***

 

“I've been thinking about something?”

 

“Hmm?” he looked away from the screen.The pizza was half gone, the movie half over.Her feet were still in his lap; Emily almost fell asleep when he was rubbing them.

 

“I might have to leave the BAU after the baby comes.”

 

“What?”

 

“I might have…”

 

“I heard you.No Emily.”

 

“I can't do it all, Hotch.I may want to but I have to make sacrifices to be the best mother I can be.I won't end up like my own; I made myself that promise years ago.”

 

“Your stepmother said she was going to help, right.She’s retired and can't wait to get her hands on her grandchild.”

 

“Yeah but…leaving my baby with my parents for long stretches of time while I'm out on the road.That is not the responsible thing to do.I'm sorry.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I wasn’t trying to insinuate that you were an irresponsible parent.” She said.

 

“I know that.Stop apologizing; we have been doing that too much lately.We can say things to each other and it’s OK.What would you do if you left the BAU?”

 

“There is plenty of work in the FBI.I could teach; I could do anything.”

 

“You won't love it as much.” He countered.

 

“You might be right, but I…”

 

“We could do it together.”

 

“I'm sorry?”

 

“Emily…”

 

“I'm not going to drag you down with me.” she spoke so low Hotch struggled to hear her.

 

“Stop that.”

 

“You don’t owe me anything.Hell, a couple of years ago you didn’t even know me.”

 

“My life is better with you in it.”

 

“We don’t have to stop being friends because I leave the job.You didn’t stop being friends with Jason.”

 

“I never see Jason!” Hotch exclaimed.“He never calls, writes, or emails.When I reach out to him it takes forever and a day to hear back.If that happened to us…”

 

“It won't.” she replied firmly.

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Hotch, if we have to be on top of each other to be friends then that says a lot.”

 

“That’s the silliest thing I've ever heard.”

 

“No matter what, I will always care about you.”

 

“Well I love you Emily.I don’t want you to leave, and I don’t want you to be alone.And I damn sure don’t want to you to have to beg that asshole to be a father to your child.She won't need him.”

 

“Do you know something I don’t?” Emily asked.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“She?”

 

“C'mere.” He pulled her close and Emily wrapped her arms around him.There were three million words on the tip of his tongue but Hotch didn’t say any of them.He had said enough, it was her turn now.It was now or never.

 

“I don’t want your pity.” She said.

 

“You don’t have it.I promise you.”

 

“You don't feel sorry for me?”

 

“Hell no.Don’t ask me that again.I loved you before him, and I will love you after.This has nothing to do with you being pregnant.If you don’t feel the same then…”

 

“Don’t say it.” Emily looked up at him.

 

“Don’t say what?”

 

Emily rolled her eyes as the tears pooled there.She willed herself not to blink and lost.Hotch wiped them away with gentle fingers.

 

“I was falling in love with you at the worse possible time.I thought it was hormones.”

 

“Hormones?”

 

“Hormones, hero worship, or I don’t know what.This is so confusing.”

 

“I don’t want to confuse you.” he took her face in his hands.“I want to kiss you.Every time you walk away from me, I want to kiss you.”

 

“Is this a dream?”

 

“No.I'm not going to pretend it will be easy either.A baby on the way may be the least of our worries.”

 

“Fraternization.” Emily said.

 

“It could be a problem, though one I am willing to face head on.”

 

“And this is not some misguided attempt…?”

 

Hotch stopped her questions with a kiss.The first time he felt her lips on his and it felt like they had done it a thousand times.It felt like home.

 

***

  


 

  



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